Slam Dunk

is a sports-themed manga series written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue about a basketball team from Shouhoku High School. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shounen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and was also been adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which had been broadcast worldwide, enjoying much popularity particularly in Japan, several other Asian countries and Europe. As of 2012, Slam Dunk has sold nearly 119 million copies in Japan alone, making it one of the best-selling manga series. Inoue later used basketball as a central theme in two subsequent manga titles: Buzzer Beater and Real. In 2010, Inoue received special commendations from the Japan Basketball Association for helping popularize basketball in Japan.